Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.
Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.
When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

After reading so much about monsters, mythology and magic lately, this book is a nice change for me. It sounds perfect for cold winter evenings spent reading in an armchair. It also has the added bonus to remind me of a childhood tale by Erich Kästner: "Lottie and Lisa" (only without the twin factor).
I guess it is normal to wonder what it would be like to step into another's life. Will it be better and more fun than the life you leave? Both Sloane girls seem to think so at first, but naturally there are complications on the way. :) I'm looking forward to see how they master the complications and their life in the end.
Which are your winter reads? Leave us a comment with your waiting on-choice.

He didn’t want to think about her, but he couldn’t help it. She was trapped inside his head, like a butterfly in a jam jar.
— Chapter 3

“Ethan,” said Polly. “Do you ever get lonely?”
He shook his head. But then he thought about it. He hadn’t felt lonely before Polly arrived. He’d had Mum and Dad. But now Polly was there and he liked having a friend to explore with.
— Chapter 7

This is a quiet book. Not for the reason that the title character doesn’t speak, but because it’s not characterised by it’s action sequences and loud scenes. This book is, in fact, very much the opposite in that what makes it stand out are the carefully nuanced silences and quiet acts of bravery. Not your customary acts of bravery, but rather the ones that for the most part go unnoticed and unacknowledged because we take them for granted. For most of us, it’s easy to speak up, raise our voice, make sure that we are heard. But what if for whatever reason we lose your main means of communication? Or rather: Will others still be able to hear us when we no longer speak? I haven’t yet found out what it is that made Ethan give up talking, but I already know that this is beautifully written and quietly brilliant. It’s a book you need to be in the mood for as it’s not an easily-accessible comfort-read. But if you decide to pick it up, you’ll get a sensitive, charming, rich, and very inspiring story of friendship and bravery that is not as simple as we might think.

What kind of book have you picked up this week? Do you need to switch up the “loudness” between books to recharge? Share your views in the comments and let us know about your teasers.

In modern-day England,
witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black
witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both.
Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and
his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage,
beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday,
at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come
into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his
father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to
trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

This book has been billed as a big book by several publishers, snatching impressive international deals and generally causing quite a bit of a commotion. And I must say the synopsis sounds amazing. Brevity is the soul of wit and in this case it’s also curiosity-inspiring. The cover in its complex simplicity is a stunning piece of art. This could have been a really gendered or generic cover and I could hug whoever is responsible for it that it isn’t. Penguin is doing amazing things with their YA titles. I have the highest of hopes for this book and can’t wait to read it.

How far in advance are you usually aware of books you want to read? Let’s hear from you in the comments.

Hermes sighed. “A few hours. Everything used to be so much easier. Do you remember when I could fly?”
She laughed. “Of course I remember. It isn’t easy to forget someone running all over the place like the damned Flash. It was pretty geeky, frankly.”
— Chapter 2

“What? What are you looking at?”
“I’m not sure. To be honest, you aren’t quite what I expected. I thought you’d be taller. Or that you’d be sparkling.”
— Chapter 11

This book is addictive. If life didn't demand attention, I would probably read the whole day and despair the night, because the next book doesn't come out until 2014.
Meeting all these characters however is worth it. My favorites are Athena and Odysseus, but I quite like Cassandra as well. Looking at her history, I'm torn between fear and hope for her. Maybe history doesn't have to repeat itself? Odysseus however is the cocky adventurer with a soft heart I always fall for in books. ;)
Because they are slowly dying, the gods are either more human than I've seen before, or very much the opposite. In Athena's case it's fascinating to read about her doubts and thoughts, when until now I only knew her depicted as aloof and above it all.

Have you grabbed an addictive read as well this week? Leave us a comment and your teaser!

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Perfect Ruin is the first book in the Internment Chronicles. Nonplussed at first by the contradictory title, I took a closer look at the synopsis: An ordinary girl in a boring world is investigating a murder on a floating island. I'd say that sounds quite life changing for the girl and exciting to me. :) Funnily enough, I took an instant liking to the names and can't help thinking that they have a special meaning. I am looking forward to see how DeStefano builds up a world in the clouds where no one knows about the ground, and wonder where the story will lead.

Which series would you like to start reading right now? Tell us your thoughts in the comments along with your waiting on choice.

I’m still coming to terms with the cover design ... I seriously loved the original cover of Unspoken but I don’t get to decide. That and the whole don’t judge a book by its cover thing. Which I wouldn’t do in this case anyway because of the author printed on said cover, so it probably could have been plain cardboard. I have missed Kami's voice. I think she is one of the most distinctive narrators and focal characters who are out and about in YA at the moment. Starting this book so far has felt like picking up a phone call with a friend that got violently interrupted (aka end of book one) about a year ago. I still have THE FEAR, because I suspect several things that will make this a deliciously torturous read. I also broke my rule of not reading this when I have to work the next day... but I have the great advantage that my colleagues understand when I explain the slightly worse for wear appearance with “Great book, sleep is overrated, too many feels.”

Are you reading a book you have been waiting for? Or have you spontaneously picked up something? Share your teasers with us in the comments.

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s can’t wait to read selection isUnbreakable by Kami Garcia

Publication Date: October 1st 2013

Unbreakable -
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

The synopsis sounds very straightforward - girl finds out about paranormal world and teams up with others to destroy a demon and probably rescue the world. Knowing Kami Garcia however, it won't be that simple. And I'm very happy about that.

I was captivated by the Beautiful Creatures series Garcia wrote with Margareth Stohl and I'm looking forward to see how she fares on her own. The synopsis doesn't tell too much and the title is intriguing, for I can't imagine how it fits the story. However, what captures me most is the cover, with its fire-illuminated face and the one eye staring at the onlooker. It's a bit creepy and quite fascinating, exactly how I would like this book to turn out.

How do you feel about authors with more than one series? Do you expect the story lines and characters to be similar or maybe not similar enough? Share your thoughts and waiting on choice in the comments.

I’m afraid he’s either one step from calling bullshit on my whole existence or asking me out on a date. Neither good.
— Chapter 7

I stop in the middle of the sidewalk—footsteps behind me. I turn around quickly and branches
on a bush next to the sidewalk shake and there’s a snapping noise like someone stepping on dead leaves.
— Chapter 11

I’m not a hundred percent sure what to make of this one yet. And I’m already more than halfway through. Usually, this tells me that I most likely won’t find what I was looking for in the second half of the book either. But in some way, I’m still curious enough to find out what is happening to this girl and her family to keep reading ... Granted the concept isn’t the invention of the wheel, but the characters are likable enough and the writing is humorous but not overly trying to be hip. Although I sometimes wonder what a shallow person the girl must have been before everything happened to her.

Is the main character of your book a likable one? What makes you continue reading apart from a story's characters? Sound off in the comments and let us know about your teasers.